Wreck of the "Birkenhead" - At 2 o'clock on the morn. of the 26th Feb., H.M.S. "Birkenhead" was wrecked between 2 and 3 miles from the shore of Southern Africa (The exact spot was Point Danger) While steaming at 8 1/2 knots, she struck a reef of sunken rocks. The water was smooth and the sky serene, but the speed at which the vessel was passing through the water proved her destruction. The rock penetrated through her bottom just aft the foremast and in 20 minutes time , there were a few floating spars and a few miserable creatures clinging to them and this is all that remained of the "Birkenhead". Of 638 persons who had left Simon's Bay but a few hours before, only 184 remain to tell the tale. Capt. SALMOND, the officer in command, anxious to shorten the run to Algoa Bay, hugged the shore too closely. As soon as the vessel struck, the rush of water was so great, that the men on the lower troop deck were drowned in their hammocks. Others were crushed beneath the falling spars and funnel and then swept away to be devoured by sharks who were prowling round the wreck. The soldiers were mustered on the afterdeck. The instinct of discipline was stronger than even the instinct of life. The men fell into place as cooly as on the parade ground. They were told off into reliefs and sent - some to chain pumps, some to the paddle-box boats. Capt. WRIGHT, 91st Regt. survives to relate the dreadful scene. "Every man did as he was directed and there was not a cry or a murmur among them until the vessel made her final plunge. I could not name any individual officer who did more than another. All received their orders, and had them carried out as if the men were embarking instead of going to the bottom." It is gratifying to find that all the women and children were saved. They had been collected under the poop awning and were as quietly got over the ship's side and passed into the cutter. The boat stood off about 150 yards from the ill-starred "Birkenhead" and all were saved. Of the other boats, one gig and two cutters were all that could be rendered available. In one account when the men were ordered to get the paddle-box boats out, the pin of the davits was rusted in and could not be got out. Capt. WRIGHT tells us that when the funnell went over the side, it carried away the starboard paddle box boat and that the other paddle-box boat capsized as it was being lowered. Of the 184 persons who were saved, 116 made their escape in the three boats. Military officers drowned: Major SEATON, Lt. G.W. ROBINSON, Lt. A.H. BOOTH, Ensign BOYLAND, Ensign MEDFORD, Ensign RUSSELL and Cornet ROLT. Naval officers lost: R. SALMOND, Master; W. BRODIE, master; J.O.D. DAVIES, second master; W. WHYHAM, Chief Engineer; C.W. HARE, master's assistant; James McCLYMOST, assistant engineer; Mr. DEALEY, assistant engineer; T. HARRIS, Boatswain; James ROBERTS, Carpenter. ... Capt. SALMOND when last seen alive was swimming from the stern of the ship which had just gone under, to a portion of the forecaste deck which was floating about 20 yards from the main body of the wreck; something struck him on the back of the head and he never rose again. - 'London Times', April 7th.